Skyborn : The Earth Born War Continues

KLIATT

The Skyborn follows The Earthborn (and anticipates The Hiveborn) in recounting the conflicts of aliens and humans, both space-born and Earth-born. As natural and creature troubles threaten to lead to genocide, individuals realize the need to overcome their wariness and to collaborate with others who are unfamiliar to them. Breaking old habits and creating new ways to problem-solve do not come easily, but the leading characters realize they have little choice if they want to survive. Confrontation is necessary; otherwise, aliens can take over and neutralize thinking. This SF tale is formulaic. The characters are not especially deep, and the plot twists are predictable. The writing is passable, so those readers who want this kind of tale will experience a familiar and comfortable read. (sequel to The Earthborn). KLIATT Codes: SA--Recommended for senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 2005, Tor, Starscape, 271p., Ages 15 to adult.
—Dr. Lesley Farmer

VOYA

Skyborn defector Welkin Quinn is determined to stop the colonists from wiping out human life on Earth through biological warfare in this sequel to Earthborn (Starscape/Tor, 2003/VOYA June 2003). Accompanied by another former Skyborn, Harry, and sisters Sarah and Gillian, Welkin sets out to infiltrate the ship. After a series of captures and unconvincing, violent, nick-of-time rescues, they achieve their goal only to find that there is a new and worse threat ahead of them: the Hiveborn, a collective mind out to assimilate them, not to mention provide a likely sequel. The two-dimensional characters are practically wearing labels proclaiming them "good" or "bad." This reviewer found it disturbing that Welkin, Sarah, and crew take umbrage at being called "savages" and "animals" by the Skyborn, yet they have no qualms at applying such terms to the other subgroups on Earth in addition to using threat of torture to extract desired information. Granted, many of the subgroups are unpleasant, but that fact does not justify the so-called heroes' sense of superiority. Finally the plot consists of episodes of contrived stupidity, such as Welkin's decision to hare off on his own or Sarah's abrupt resignation as leader of the "family," a move that allows a fundamentalist totalitarian to take over. (Sarah later admits to "bad leadership" in making that decision.) If Collins gave up the video game-style violence, tightened the plot, and ramped up the characterization, he might produce a better novel, but one should not be optimistic for the inevitable sequel. VOYA CODES: 2Q 2P J S (Better editing or work by the author might have warranted a 3Q; For the YA with a special interest in the subject; JuniorHigh, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2005, Starscape/Tor, 271p., Ages 12 to 18.
—Donna Scanlon

Children's Literature

This book is a sequel to The Earthborn. The Skyborn consider the Earthborn people inferior in this society full of social discrimination. The Skyborn live in a hovering space colony above Australia. The Earthborn have been abandoned onto a polluted and diseased land. They struggle to stay alive everyday. The Skyborn are using biological warfare to attack DNA and wipe out the entire Earthborn population. Sarah and some of her loyal clan are trying to break into the multilevel spacecraft to prevent the elders from releasing more pollutants. On board, the elders have brainwashed their cadets to follow orders without resistance. It is a high tech society in which independent thought has been taken over. Sarah and her friends infiltrate the many levels of this spacecraft through creative use of technology and quick thinking. Many characters are met along the way. Students could further develop these splinter stories in a writing exercise. Students studying genocide and social class would find this fictional story to be a good case study of intolerance. Viruses, DNA, and biological warfare are discussed in detail and would be easily related to science curriculum.